Overview

Opened: 6/12/1893

Two tracks, one island platform. This station resembles Cleveland St. but is slightly larger. The exit is at the north end, and has platform level fare control with three turnstiles. The floor is brick and the station house is metal. Fare control rails are of the IRT type, slightly fancier than the railings typically found in IND stations. Departing Norwood Street, and just before arriving at the next station (Crescent Street), remains of a former connection to the LIRR can be seen at Chestnut Street. In the 1890s, the LIRR was looking for access to Manhattan and the BRT was looking for access to the Rockaways. The LIRR ran at grade on Atlantic Ave., one block south of the Jamaica El along Fulton Street. The two companies cooperated on a connection beginning in 1898, over which the LIRR ran service to Broadway Ferry and BRT ran service to the Rockaways via Woodhaven Junction. When the Williamsburg Bridge opened, the LIRR ran trains first to Essex St. and later all the way to Chambers St. This was the first direct access to the city for the LIRR. In 1917, a ruling against the joint operation by the USRA (the predecessor of the FRA) required the connection to be severed. Most of the junction's structure remained until the 1940s when the Atlantic Division of the LIRR was put underground and the connection structure was dismantled for the war effort. A photo from street level of these remains is below. For more information, see LIRRHistory.com.